In a typical cellular wireless network, an area is divided geographically into a number of coverage areas, such as cells and sectors, each defined by a radio frequency (RF) radiation pattern from a respective base station). Within each coverage area, the base station's RF radiation pattern provides one or more wireless links, each on a corresponding carrier, over which mobile stations may communicate with the cellular wireless network. In turn, the cellular wireless network may provide connectivity with one or more other networks, such as the public switched telephone network (PSTN) or the Internet.
The cellular wireless network described above may additionally include one or more repeaters, each of which functions to repeat signals between a base station and a mobile station. Typically, a repeater is employed to extend the range of a coverage area and/or fill a hole in a coverage area. In operation, a repeater may receive signals from a base station, amplify the signals, and then transmit the amplified signals into the repeater's coverage area for receipt by a mobile station. Correspondingly, the repeater may receive signals from a mobile station located inside the repeater's coverage area, amplify the signals, and then transmit the amplified signals to the base station. The repeater may perform other functions as well.
One common type of repeater is a narrowband repeater, which can only repeat signals on one carrier—and thus one wireless link—between a base station and a mobile station. In this respect, when a narrowband router is employed in a coverage area having multiple wireless links, problems may arise. One problem with employing a narrowband repeater in a coverage area having multiple wireless links is that a base station may not be able to readily determine whether a given mobile station is located inside a coverage area of a repeater amplifying one of the wireless links. In turn, the base station may not be able to account for the given mobile station's presence inside (or outside) the narrowband repeater's coverage area during a handover procedure (e.g., an active session load balancing handover procedure), which may result in a dropped call. Accordingly, an improved method for determining whether a mobile station is located inside a narrowband repeater's coverage area and using the determination in a handover procedure is desired.